ly they did,) as they were not obliged to continue a reckoning for a fabbath from a time, and in obedience to a command, which was only related to, and obligatory upon the Jews. But this is what the chriftians, at the beginning of the chriftian difpenfation, did not thoroughly understand, but thought that their obligation to Judaism ftill remained; and accordingly they mixed and blended Judaism and christianity together. And as this was the cafe in many inftances, fo it was the fame with regard to the fabbath; the very first chrif tians, not only kept the chriftian fabbath, a reckoning for which began at the refurrection of Chrift; but they alfo kept the Jews fabbath, in obedience to the Jewish law, a reckoning for which began at the first gathering of the manna, according to the command given the Jews, which command the christians were not obliged to be governed by, and therefore in this they plainly judaifed. And tho', for diftinction's fake, when two fabbath days were kept one following the other, one (viz. the jewish) was called the fabbath day, and the other the Lord's day; yet this does not alter the cafe, because it is not the name, but the thing which we are enquiring about. Each day was ftrictly and properly a fabbath day, or the fabbath day, as each day was kept as a day of boly reft; tho' probably the severities of Judaim were annex'd to one of these fabbaths, and not to the other. In like manner, the Jewish fabbath had, by long custom, obtained the name of the feventh day; and therefore the

christian

christian fabbath day was by way of distinction called the first day, which cuftom is not yet worn out; whereas one is as truly a feventh day, or the seventh day as the other, because the denomination of feventh day, is taken from the fix days that preceed it, and it is as applicable to one day, as to another. And as fome remains of Judaifm continued long among christians; fo this of the Jewish fabbath was of long duration, tho' probably it must have been greatly injurious to the laborious and poorer part of them, whofe time for labour, by keeping two fabbath days in seven, must have been too much broken in upon. However, in time, the keeping one of these fabbaths (viz. the Jewish) was dropped, by the greatest part of chriftians, if not by all of them. And in this they acted very juftly, for any thing that appears to the contrary. For as they were not obliged to keep two days in feven for fabbaths; fo the fourth commandment was as fully and truly obeyed, with regard to time, by their keeping the chriftian, as it would have been if they had kept the Jewish fabbath; that is, the command was as truly obeyed. by their keeping that day for a fabbath, which, according to custom, was called the first day, as it would have been if they had kept that day, which, according to cuftom, was called the feventh day. And in this case there was no change of a fabbath from one day to another, as is pretended; but only when two fabbath days were kept one following another, one of them, viz. the Jewish was dropped.

Thus,

you

Thus, Sir, I have laid before you, with great plainness and freedom, and I trust with equal fairness, my thoughts on this fubject. A fubject which feem to confider of great importance, tho' I must acknowledge it does not appear to be so to me; because it is the main defign of a command, which is a matter of importance to me, and not any circumstance that may be related to it, upon which that main defign has no dependence; especially if that circumftance be dubious and doubtful, which, to fay the leaft, I think, is the present cafe. Suppofing that chriftians were more divided in their judgments and practice, with regard to the time for keeping a fabbath, than they really are, and that the chriftians in Britain kept the day commonly called funday, thofe in Holland kept the day commonly called faturday, and thofe in France the day commonly called friday; and fuppofing my bufinefs required that I fhould be fometimes in each of those countries, the queftions is, How I ought to act under fuch circumstances, fo as for my conduct to be justly approved by every wife and good being? Whether I ought to keep the fame day in all thofe countries, and thereby join with my fellow chriftians in one country, and keep a day by myself in the other two? Or, Whether I ought, in each of those countries, to keep the fame day for a fabbath, as the christians in those several countries do, tho' different with regard to time, as aforefaid? And the answer to me is plain and ob vious, viz. That in each country I ought to

join with my fellow chriftians, and keep the fame day for a fabbath as they do; and that for these reasons, Firft, Because the point contended for, (viz. whether it be that the feventh day from the creation, or from the first gathering of the manna, ought to be kept as a fabbath day by chriftians,) is, to say the leaft, of doubtful difputation. Secondly, Because the true end and defign of the inftitution is as well and as fully answered, and confequently obedience to the fourth commandment with regard to time, is as effectually fecured, by my keeping one of those days for a fabbath, as another; that is, whether I keep funday, faturday, or friday. Thirdly, Becaufe, in the prefent cafe, no wife and good end can poffibly be anfwered, by diffenting from my chriftian brethren, but the contrary; as fuch diffent, in point of practice, introduces confufion, and great inconvenience to chriftians, and to fociety, which inconvenience our brethren the fabbatarians do fadly experience; and therefore conformity, in fuch a cafe, and under fuch circumstances, must be preferable to nonconformity. These reasons, when taken together, would justify my conduct to myself, in fuch a cafe; and I verily think, they would do the fame to my Maker.

I will only add, that as I have nothing in view by this addrefs, but your and the fabbatarians benefit, by endeavouring to remove a bardship which each of you are labouring under; fo, I hope, it will be kindly accepted, Your fincere Friend,

from

N

And bumble Servant.

Regard to the Diffenters, particularly confidered. In a fecond Letter to the Reverend Dr. Stebbing.

Reverend Sir,

Y

OUR not taking notice of my former letter, has not difcouraged me from addreffing you again in the fame way. Mr, Fofter, I think, in his two letters to you, charges you with being a friend, and an advocate for perfecution. This charge, if I mistake not, he endeavoured to fupport by producing a propofition fubfervient thereto, that you in your former writings have advanced; which propofition it does not appear that you have yet publickly retracted. The propofition, if I apprehend the cafe aright, is this, namely, that thofe who diffent from the established religion of a country, ought to be muleted or pay a tax for their liberty.